By thisthe childrenof Godand the childrenof the devilare obvious:anyonewho does not practicerighteousnessis not of God,northe one who does not lovehis brother.
But Absalomdid not speakto Amnoneithergoodorbad;for AbsalomhatedAmnonbecausehe had violatedhis sisterTamar.
and the fieldis the world;and [as for] the goodseed,theseare the sonsof the kingdom;and the taresare the sonsof the evil[one];
"But loveyour enemies,and do good,and lend,expectingnothingin return;and your rewardwill be great,and you will be sonsof the Most High;for He Himselfis kindto ungratefuland evil[men].
But as manyas receivedHim, to them He gavethe rightto becomechildrenof God,[even] to thosewho believein His name,
and not for the nationonly,but in orderthat He might alsogather togetherinto onethe childrenof Godwho are scattered abroad.
"You are of [your] fatherthe devil,and you wantto dothe desiresof your father.He was a murdererfrom the beginning,and does not standin the truthbecausethere is notruthin him. Wheneverhe speaksa lie,he speaksfrom his own[nature], for he is a liarand the fatherof lies.
"He who is of Godhearsthe wordsof God;for thisreasonyou do not hear[them], becauseyou are not of God."
and said,"You who are fullof alldeceitand fraud,you sonof the devil,you enemyof allrighteousness,will you not ceaseto make crookedthe straightwaysof the Lord?
Owenothingto anyoneexceptto loveone another;for he who loveshis neighborhas fulfilled[the] law.
Thereforebe imitatorsof God,as belovedchildren;
Beyondallthese things[put on] love,whichis the perfectbond of unity.
But the goalof our instructionis lovefrom a pureheartand a goodconscienceand a sincerefaith.
Ifyou knowthat He is righteous,you knowthat everyonealsowho practicesrighteousnessis bornof Him.
Seehow greata lovethe Fatherhas bestowedon us, that we would be calledchildrenof God;and [such] we are. For thisreasonthe worlddoes not knowus, becauseit did not knowHim.
Beloved,nowwe are childrenof God,and it has not appearedas yetwhatwe will be. We knowthat whenHe appears,we will be likeHim, becausewe will seeHim justas He is.
And thiscommandmentwe havefrom Him, that the one who lovesGodshould lovehis brotheralso.
We are from God;he who knowsGodlistensto us; he whois not from Goddoes not listento us. By thiswe knowthe spiritof truthand the spiritof error.
The one who does not lovedoes not knowGod,for Godis love.
We knowthat we are of God,and that the wholeworldliesin [the power of] the evil one.
By thiswe knowthat we lovethe childrenof God,whenwe loveGodand observeHis commandments.
Beloved,do not imitatewhat is evil,but what is good.The one who does goodis of God;the one who does evilhas not seenGod.